


Jõtaider - State 1: Beginnings

by ForbiddenArchive



Series: Jõtaider [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Corruption, Kemonomimi, Tokusatsu Themes, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 07:37:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21240542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForbiddenArchive/pseuds/ForbiddenArchive
Summary: A young girl, stuck in a depressive rut, ends up with power that can save not only herself, but the one friend she had made...





	Jõtaider - State 1: Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is the beginning of a personal project of mine. A tokusatsu-themed fetish series primarily focused around Transformation. 
> 
> Inspired by stuff like Kamen Rider as well as NeoOmnimon (DA Writer)'s Buster Girls, I hope you all enjoy it at least a little.

There was nothing. Utterly nothing. Blackness. Darkness. Whichever you called it. There was simply none of it no matter how far or wide you looked. If you looked to the left, nothing. Right, same. Up and down yielded the exact same. It was just endless nothingness, the depths of which could never truly be reached. Any light that might penetrate this infinite space would just be swallowed up, unable to ever return.  
  
The young girl that stood within the infinite void didn't even bother looking around, the emptiness in her eyes making it clear how little she truly cared about the world around her. She was just... done with it all. She had been done for many years, as she had more than enough trouble trying to fit in. If anything, the unending depths were exactly what she deserved for being unable to integrate smoothly. That's what a girl like her was destined to end up in.  
  
Then, a bright light emerged. From the specks of darkness that blanketed the girl's surroundings, a tiny yet powerful light shone through, vanquishing the black to reveal nothing underneath. The dim colors in her eyes reflected the shine from the light, as a voice rung through her ears.  
  
"...What is your role?"  
  
The light seemed to be the source of the words, and the girl took a few moments to mull over the question. A question that she herself had toiled over for quite a long time. The sole question that defined her very being. She opened her mouth to answer, yet the words that left her lips were... wavering.  
  
"...I don't know."  
  
The light flickered as everything was gradually swallowed by the darkness once more, bringing an end to the eerie dream that the girl had been experiencing for quite some time now. A dream... of things to come.  
  
\---  
  
Her eyes fluttered open. A yawn slipped past her lips, only for a groan to swiftly follow it as she rolled out of bed a few steps too early. The youthful girl, Mikai Fushimi, gradually got up onto her feet as she heard a voice echoing from outside of her plain-looking room.  
  
"Mikai, honey! Breakfast! You're going to be late for school if you don't get going!"  
  
The sound of her mother brought a tiny, brief smile to her face, only for a dull frown to replace it before she made her way downstairs. Moments later, she paused as she forgot to put her clothes on. Before her sole caretaker noticed, she snuck back upstairs to throw on an outfit that didn't particularly stand out. Just as she liked it.  
  
A simple sleeveless shirt, a skirt that covered just enough, a pantyhose to keep warm and a set of striped socks that... well, she didn't like to dwell on the importance of the socks, but they were precious to her.   
  
Once her clothes properly draped her lithe body, she brushed a little spot of her pale-blonde hair before heading right back downstairs, taking a seat at the kitchen table as the quiet air within the room slowly caressed her cheek...  
  
The awkward atmosphere between mother and daughter was palpable. Neither of them spoke to one another, just eating their respective breakfast meal as the clock ticked on by. There was a very good reason for why they preferred to not speak, as Mikai's mother broke the silence.  
  
"Mikai. We... We need to talk about this. Okay?"  
  
The young girl's expression turned grave for a brief moment before she continued to chew through her meal, ignoring the attempt at confronting her.  
  
"...Please, honey. Listen to me. I know you have trouble fitting in, but you have to try. You can't just..." Her dearest mother tried her best to appeal to her, only to quietly sigh and return to eating her breakfast.  
  
This routine had happened many times before. Ever since her parents had split from one another, ever since her mother had been forced to work long hours that left her painfully alone during the night... Something inside of Mikai just turned off. There was no reason for her to do anything but just let the world tug her along. Doing what she should, not what she could, to stay afloat.   
  
On some level, what had happened to her family left her an emotionless husk. Nobody really wanted to bother befriending her throughout the years, especially since she always seemed like the weird type. But, she didn't mind that much. She didn't need friends to get through life.  
  
Once the last piece of bread was successfully chomped down, the young girl got up from her chair before walking towards the front door, picking up her school bag in the process. "See you tonight, Mom." Was the only thing she said to her sole living family member before taking off, leaving her mother to wonder where she went wrong...  
  
"Oh, Mikai. If only you could make a friend..."  
  
\---  
  
By the time Mikai had gotten far enough away from her home, she felt a weight lifting off her back. She didn't need to put up a defensive front any longer, or at least for a little while given that her mother wasn't anywhere nearby. Now, she was free to just pace herself as she walked down the streets. Streets filled with other girls near and around her age, all of them heading towards school.  
  
On some level, she was envious. They had friends. They had relatives that lived in the city. They had acquaintances, associates, all sorts of people they could talk to. And... she had nobody. Of course, this was something that she had caused herself, but that didn't mean it wasn't at least a little depressing to notice. Especially as she heard some friendly chatter pass her by.  
  
"Come on, come on, come on! We're going to be late!" "We're only late because you took so long to put your clothes on."  
  
Two students, a pale-skinned boy and a tanned and blonde girl that were similar in age, ran past Mikai. She had seen the two of them before, tending to a shrine on the outskirts of the city, so they definitely were close. And yet the difference between their bodies gave a hint to how different they were despite their shared interests. This really drove home how much identity meant to people in this city since it helped them make bonds.  
  
"Get back here you little..!" "GIVE THOSE BACK!" "Hahahahaha, can't catch me with those thunder thighs if you can't run fast enough to pin me down!"  
  
Much like the paired boy and girl had, a triad soon ran past the somber girl. This time around, there was no joy to be had between them. The trio was made up of a short looking boy with a quick set of legs, who held... two pairs of underwear in his hands. Following behind him to the best of their ability were two girls who had no doubt lost their precious undergarments to his tricks. On some level, their role in life was predetermined, given the meat on both of their thighs. They were to be lusted after and given their hotheaded tempers, they wouldn't find love without a few issues...  
  
"Huh!? Why do you think you're allowed to walk here, huh!?" "Yeah, tell her boss!" "YEAH!"  
  
Mikai's head soon turned off the street towards a little dirt patch off the side of the road, noticing a small gang of girls circling a brown-haired woman that had seemingly been running past them, only to be roughly grabbed. The sight was unusual enough to make the young girl stop and watch as the leader of the gang stepped closer to the captured girl.  
  
"P-Please, I just wanted a morning jog. I didn't mean to insult any-" The brunette with the toned belly suddenly felt a fist impact her stomach, sending a shock of energy throughout her system from the sheer strength behind the blow. She would've doubled over, if not for the sukeban-clad gang girls that held her standing.  
  
The leader, a short-haired bancho-dressed girl with a cap and a single kanji adorning her forehead, spat at the taller captive. "You interrupted our privacy. So you're gonna pay by joining us, so you can learn from your mistakes." Her plans were laid out right then and there as she began to smile a little wickedly. "Don't worry. I'm a good parent. You'll learn lots under me. Just like they have. Isn't that right, girls?"  
  
"YES, BOSS!" The much taller delinquents shouted in unison and agreement, as the brunette's hair slowly turned black. A phenomenon that Mikai, unfortunately, was very familiar with. A process that was incredibly common around town given everything she had seen over her years.  
  
Bit by bit, the former brunette started to shiver. Her body altered before her very eyes, growing a little slimmer while her height shot upward until she was the exact same height as those girls. Her clothes, formerly a simple top and a pair of shorts, shifted into a proper sukeban uniform...   
  
In short, the leader of the gang had managed to exert a new identity upon the stranger. The completion of which was noted by the girl's mark appearing on her cheek. And yet, there still seemed to be a bit of conflict, since the transformed girl still muttered about how sorry she was. An act that caused the girls that held her to pin her to the ground, about to rough her up further... seemingly. The somber girl watching from afar didn't bother watching for another second.  
  
As the pipsqueak's gang mates continued to ensure that the former brunette had been properly punished and forcefully converted, the leader herself turned towards the main street to look towards the somber girl right before she properly turned away from the scene. A brief look was shared between the two. One of understanding, much to Mikai's befuddlement. She hadn't seen the girl nor her gang before, but something about the tiny one told her more than she ever wanted to know. That she wasn't just the brawn... but also the brain. Evident by the glint of understanding in her eyes.  
  
Shivers ran down as the young girl shook her head. This wasn't the time to wonder what everyone had in mind. They had their lot in life, and she had hers. Even if some of them made a game out of changing others' identities, that didn't mean it concerned the somber girl. No. She had to move on and let life drag her along.  
  
Especially as she finally reached the school. The same institution that she had gone to for years now... And the same one that she had gradually gotten isolated in, socially at least.  
  
Mimoto Highschool. Smack dab in the center of the city of the same name.  
  
\---  
  
"Alright. Everyone. Please sit down until I call your name for attendance."  
  
The voice of an older man echoed throughout Mikai's ears as she looked up from her desk in the far back of the classroom, her eyes drifting downward after taking note of the teacher's usual round figure, not wanting to be bothered as she stared down at homework that was due the next day.  
  
"Yumeko Watanabe?"  
  
A young, long and black-haired girl, the same age as the somber girl in the back, stood up from her chair with a small smile. "Here, sir." She acknowledged her presence, receiving a gentle nod from the teacher in return.  
  
"Tsubasa Sato?"  
  
A nervous-looking young man stood up as he adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat before he spoke. "Here, Mr. Maki." He trembled from head to toe, and yet nobody batted an eye at his... lack of composure, to put it bluntly.  
  
"Agatha Anemone?"   
  
Contrary to the last two people to stand up, this time a much stouter and prouder girl stood up, evident by the way she let her enormous twin-tails sway from side to side as she brushed her hand up against one. "Here, of course." She scoffed like the rich foreigner that she was, secretly a little annoyed with the prospect of being addressed as anything but the first student...  
  
The process continued for a few more names, each of them standing up, in turn, to ensure that they truly were there, right until the teacher reached the last name on the list.  
  
"Mikai Fushimi?"  
  
No answer.   
  
"I said. Mikai Fushimi?"  
  
Yet again, no answer.  
  
The older teacher sighed as he put down his clipboard, catching a glimpse of Mikai sitting in the back before crossing her name over on his list. "I can see you down there, Mikai. You know how the rules go." The exasperated teacher remarked before he grabbed ahold of a textbook also sitting on the table. "As for the rest of you, you may take a seat once again. Today, we're going to briefly recap the relationship between humanity and monster-kind in the current age."  
  
Words gradually tuned out as the teacher talked and talked and talked. Some of it was interesting, especially the parts about the way the monsters that had plagued humanity ended up evolving alongside them until they were practically the same race, with only the smallest of details that would let a person tell them apart. Sure, they had started to diverge again lately to let the monsters regain a bit of their own racial identity, but there was peace. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see a woman or a man with parts that would belong on a creature rather than a person, at least nowadays.  
  
As the specifics were lost on the young girl, she noticed a note being passed to her desk. A note that was written on a type of paper that definitely didn't belong in any kind of ordinary textbook, nor the school's library. It was almost a little... parched? As if the paper itself would fall apart if she touched it too long?  
  
Regardless, she picked it up and folded out the note, reading it to herself as the teacher continued to drone on and on...  
  
'Do you feel out of place? Lonely in this forsaken world? Eager to stake your claim and get what you desire? Then come to the roof at night. I will show you what you have been missing out on... and how you will end up surpassing your meager limits.'  
  
Something about the paper seemed... off. It was very dramatic and frankly almost theatrical, and yet the more she read those words, the more something inside of her soul started to ignite. Was... Was this what she had waited for? A chance to prove herself? A chance to become somebody? Somebody... that perhaps could tolerate and make friends?  
  
She had to investigate. Even if she had to wait until nighttime came by...  
  
\---  
  
As the evening hours started settling in, many of the students left the school grounds leaving only a few behind to either study, clean up after a mess that they had made that landed them in detention, and so on. As the moon started settling into the sky, even more left...  
  
All except for two young girls from the very same class. One of which obviously was the curious Mikai, the other being a girl whose eyes were covered up by her black hair, both of them waiting around on the rooftop of the school together.  
  
"So, you got that note too, didn'tcha?" The eye-obscuring girl asked, grinning a little as she politely extended her hand. "Call me Mumei-chan. It's a nickname since nobody's really been bothered to learn my real name, what with being unable to look me in the eye and call me out on things... or, well, do anything in general..."   
  
Her voice trailed off into a little bit of somberness herself, prompting the quiet girl to look at her. "You're by your lonesome too, I see," Mikai said as she refused to take her hand, shifting a little away from her in the process. "Don't bother being friendly. I'm... not worth being friends with."   
  
"Ah. Heh, I dunno. You're just shy because you can't keep a friend. I know the feeling... way too much." The strange girl replied, smiling as she withdrew her hand. "It's... kinda why I'm up here. I thought that if I did as the note told, then maybe I could be a better friend to people. Maybe I could actually be worth something to people, and then maybe... yeah, you get the gist."  
  
The short-haired girl nodded as she slowly rubbed at her arms, the cold nighttime air brushing up against her skin. She hoped that note hadn't been a jest. She couldn't take a joke at this point, especially since it meant that she'd have to walk all the way home in the cold...  
  
"Look alive, you two!" A bombastic voice called out from above them, prompting them to look around for the source of the voice... only to notice a strangely clad woman standing atop of the nearby door that led back down into the school, her wide and toothy grin immediately causing the two of them to shiver in a mild sense of fear.   
  
Mumei-chan gulped a little before standing up from her seat against the roof's fence. "Are you the one who wrote the note? What's... What's with the anime-like entrance? Can you get down from there and actually help us out, or ar..." She asked a lot of questions in a row, only to be cut off as the mysterious woman leaped up, landing powerfully on the roof below seconds later causing the entire building to shake.  
  
The woman, long-haired and dressed from head to toe in a black military uniform complete with a spider pin near her chest, laughed as she put a hand on the girl whose hair covered up her eyes. "Oh, I can certainly help you. But I want to know what you want, kiddo. Ain't gonna give you anything if you don't show me you want it. That counts for you too, broody girl." The spider-pinned woman explained as she took a few steps back, crossing her arms as if to invite them to declare their reason for being there.  
  
Mikai stood up as she walked over, taking a stand beside her impromptu companion. "I... I want to have a reason to be in this world. I just don't feel like I fit in anywhere. I've been neglected for most of my life, and... It just..." She paused, the words refusing to leave her throat for a few seconds... "...I hate it. I want to know what it feels like to be loved for what you can do... not what you should do."  
  
"Heh, well that's a pretty admirable if sad reason to want something. And you, no-eyes? Tell me, what do you want?" The spider militant grinned as a small golden glow slowly started growing behind her, one that both girls neglected to notice...  
  
Mumei-chan cleared her throat loudly and clearly, before launching into her speech of desire. "I want to be friends with people! I want to be useful to them! I want to know that people have my back, and I have theirs! I don't want to be somebody that just gets thrown aside because they can't look me in the eye! I just... I JUST WANT TO HAVE FRIENDS!" Her passionate cry for help rung loud and clear, prompting the woman to clap happily in response.  
  
"Bravo. You're both clearly in need of a little boost. So, here. Come closer. I want to give you the one thing you both need to grow happy with yourselves." The spider-wearing woman continued to spin a web of alluring lies as she pulled out a pair of golden accessories. A bracelet for each of them. "Take these. Your very own Jõtai."  
  
The two girls raised their eyebrows, prompting the woman to chuckle a little. "They're named after your state of being. Try 'em on, and you'll see what I mean."  
  
Mikai was naturally skeptical, even as she took ahold of the bracelet. She could feel... something resonating from the golden wearable, but... was it safe? She looked to her thick-haired companion for confirmation, since she had been reckless enough to throw it on immediately.  
  
A mistake as it soon turned out. Mumei-chan collapsed onto her knees as energies started to spark from the bracelet, sinking into her body as she started to scream. "WHAT'S... HAPPENING!? IT... IT..." She stuttered loudly as her entire body convulsed, causing her to gasp for breath as it felt like her insides were burning...  
  
Only for her to suddenly seize up, right then and there. "It... feels good..." The nameless girl muttered, causing her impromptu companion to back away in mild fear. Whatever was happening, it definitely wasn't good. And it was about to get worse, as her body once more started to tremble and shake.  
  
Right before Mikai's very eyes, she saw Mumei-chan's skin turn from the pale that was characteristic of people living in the city, to an even paler and almost petrified white. Upon closer inspection, the specific shade mimicked the color of marble, which was peculiar on its own. It got weirder, as her cries slowly turned from fearful and painful to aroused and powerful.  
  
The changes continued as the white spread across the girl's entire figure. Her unremarkable outfit shattered, only to be magically replaced with the armor of a Roman legionary, complete with a helmet that managed to pull up her hair to reveal her eyes for the first time... to reveal a pair of lupine eyes, darting around to look for prey.  
  
Mumei-chan slowly got back up onto her feet as her hands turned into furred claws with marble tipping every finger off. Her feet likewise turned into paws with each toenail replaced with marble to enhance the durability. The final change that happened to her, was at the same time the most plain. A pair of wolf ears and a marble-colored tail grew from her helmet-covered head and her combat-skirted bottom respectively, leaving nothing to the imagination.  
  
She had been transformed into a monster. and judging by the grin on her face, she was all too happy about it. "Aaahhahahahahaha! Look at me! I'm... I'm!" She started jubilating, clenching her claws together, only to feel a hand upon her shoulder.  
  
"You're one of us now, hair-eyes. Or rather, Legatus Lupus. A fitting name for a Jõtaijin as yourself, wouldn't you say?" The spider-wearing woman chimed, and the monsterized girl could only nod vigorously and happily in response... prompting the black-clad woman to turn towards Mikai now, with a glint in her eyes.  
  
The girl slowly stepped away, her hand clenching the golden band. "...I... I'll turn like she has if I put this on..?" She cautiously asked, trying to hide the fear that had emerged from her usually emotionless heart.  
  
"You'll become better. In your own definition of better, anyway. I don't care if you put it on now, I've done my duty." The maliciously minded spider of a woman chimed, as she stretched her arms. "Run along now, kids. Don't come back to me and ask for a refund, I'm going to be busy for the next little while!"  
  
With that, the devilish figure took her leave by leaping off the building in one great jump... leaving the transformed Mumei-chan alone with Mikai. Silence filled the air for a few seconds, as the two girls looked at one another.   
  
The helmeted wolf of a girl grinned. "Well. Guess this is how I'm gonna make friends. You sure you're not going to wear that thing?" Despite the radical transformation, she seemed to have a little bit of humanity still left in her. "I could get rid of it if you're afraid. Doubt you'll lose much."  
  
"...I'll be fine. You do what you need to do." The pale-blonde human replied, as she slowly stepped towards the stairs down to the ground floor. "...I hope you don't regret what you did, Mumei-chan."   
  
The marble-clad warrior wolf roared and laughed, only to give the girl a thumbs up in response. "I got you to use my nickname. I call that a victory. See you around, I'm about to go make tons of friends. I bet they'll..." She paused, her eyes flashing red and gold for a brief moment. "No, I know they'll love me. Ehehehe..."  
  
Mikai averted her eyes as she opened the door to the stairs, slowly making her way down them... and her way home as a result. She didn't bother telling her mother why she was out, and she didn't bother dwelling on what had happened the night before.  
  
She... needed time to herself, before she could try and worry about why somebody would throw away their humanity like that...  
  
\---  
  
There she was. One more time. Within the infinite darkness. Endlessly staring into the abyss, where nothing would ever come or go. Only this time, the light that she had spoken with so many times before appeared so much earlier. And this time...  
  
This time Mikai had a question for it.  
  
"What is your r-" The light started to speak, only for it to seemingly notice the shift in the expression on the young girl's face. "...You've grown."  
  
The young girl shook her head. "No. I just have to ask you something. Why is a role important?" She was right to ask the question, considering the people she had met the night before... and yet, she knew that at the same time, in this world of hers, a role was important. Otherwise, you weren't anybody.  
  
"...You should know that by now." The voice responded, warmer than usual as it slowly started to fade away. "And I know you will find your role. You're close to it."  
  
"Mikai."  
  
The dreaming girl's eyes widened as the name rung through her head, prompting her to practically leap towards the disappearing light. "WAI-"  
  
\---  
  
*THUD*  
  
"Trggghhhh..." The now-awake girl muttered as she had tossed herself out of bed rather violently, resulting in her face meeting the floor and bruising her cheeks in the process. "Why did it..."   
  
As she muttered to herself trying to figure out how or why the light knew her name, Mikai suddenly heard her mother shouting for her. "Honey! Come down here, there's something on the TV you need to see!" Always the concerned one, but on occasion, it didn't hurt to listen to her.  
  
The youth threw on the same outfit as yesterday before heading downstairs, only for her eyes to widen as they fell upon the image displayed upon the TV. "M...Mom. What is that?" She asked as she pointed towards a series of marble-colored girls shambling about on the recorded footage, memories flashing back to the night before.  
  
"That's what I wanted you to see, dear. They're saying that people should stay indoors since a monster's causing havoc. It's been a while since we had somebody of this magnitude go berserk too..." Her mother replied, only to blink and turn towards the younger girl, a little bright light in her eyes. "Hold on, dear... is that..."  
  
Mikai paused before nodding. "Yeah... I... Well..." She was left short of words, not really knowing how to respond and properly articulate why she had begun to show emotions again. The way she seized up as her beloved mom wrapped her arms around her in a comforting and accepting manner definitely didn't help matters either.  
  
A little tear ran down the older woman's cheek. "Oh, don't even worry about it. I'm just happy you can feel something again. And you're even trying to talk to me about it. That's all I ever wanted after you tried to shut yourself away." The smile on her mother's face resonated with the words that left her mouth.  
  
Shutting herself away... In a sense, wasn't that what Mumei-chan had done? By becoming a monster, she had torn out her humanity. She wouldn't be the same ever again, and yet, she deserved comfort like this just as much as Mikai did.  
  
The young girl's eyes lit up for the first time in a long while. "...Mom. I have to go." The conviction in her voice was loud and clear. She knew precisely what to do, for the first time in her life.  
  
Her mother tried to speak up, only to smile and chuckle a little instead before planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "I've never seen you like this... but I suppose you had to come out of your shell at some point. I don't know what you're going to go do, but stay safe, okay Mikai?"  
  
"I will. Promise, Mom." The cracks in her former self were shining brighter and brighter the more she spoke, as she returned the kiss before breaking free from her hug and sprinting out of the door.  
  
Once, there was a time where Mikai had been a normal girl. Sure, a little shy, but there was always the spark of a curious young girl hidden underneath it all. And it took so long before that spark returned. The young girl's mother had never anticipated or expected it to happen, especially considering how difficult it had been to talk to her over the last few days. Only one thing remained in her mind at this point though, one solitary hope.  
  
'Stay safe, my dear. You can do whatever it is you need to do.'  
  
\---  
  
To say that the city was panicking would be an incredible understatement. People were running and screaming in the streets, trying to flee from the marble-colored girls to the best of their abilities. Some of them were successful, especially the ones that managed to run past Mikai as she headed straight towards danger... while some of them were anything but lucky.  
  
As she stared straight ahead towards a crowd surrounded by those white menaces, each citizen was formed to scream before the stone-like warrior girls jabbed through them with their swords. The pain was swift and deadly, in the broadest understanding of those terms.  
  
The cries of pain and fear from those people gradually turned into those of pleasure, much like what had happened to Mumei-chan on a smaller scale. Their skin turned from the same plain beige to the pristine white, all of the new stone-like color coalescing as it spread across their head like a dome, their entire face and identity being consumed by the transformation as a pair of wolf ears appeared atop of each of the stabbed citizens. Citizens that had now been turned into warriors following the girl that seemingly just wanted to have a friend that wouldn't dump her.  
  
Just like the gang of delinquents she had witnessed, these people seemed to have enough willpower to completely change ordinary people into another faceless copy. Perhaps it wasn't exactly their willpower, but the willpower of the person ruling over them... which meant that she had to go straight to the source. The girl that had turned into a Roman-themed wolf.  
  
Mikai took a deep breath before breaking into a sprint, dashing past the dome-headed Legionnaire drones, using the speed to her advantage as, by the time they realized she was there, they didn't have a way to catch up. Even if she did amass a small squad's worth of pursuers, they were just as sluggish as their skin color indicated, making it easy for the young girl to get past them...  
  
But getting past them was just the first step. Then came the hard part. Namely, the big bad wolf herself, towering over two girls from. One of them didn't stand out, but the other certainly did. One of the few students that she had caught the name of earlier.   
  
Yumeko Watanabe.  
  
"What do you gain from all of this awful stuff, Mumei-chan?" The girl spoke up, frowning slightly as she tried to back away from her bit by bit. There wasn't much space left to let her widen the gap, but thankfully the other student seemed to be preoccupied with her.  
  
The marble-colored Legatus scoffed, her eyes flaring a golden crimson. "Don't call me that anymore! I've got friends now! Friends and an army! I'm Lupus! Legatus Lupus! You two should feel honored as you join with me!" The sword-wielding warrior wolf twirled her blade, only to stab it straight through the student that tried to put up a fight.   
  
Once more, both Mikai and Yumeko were forced to watch somebody they barely knew get turned. The sword sunk into the victim's body as the stone spread. From her belly, all the way out to her limbs, every single part being turned into marble as it simultaneously robbed the victim of any actual ability to move until the corruption was complete.  
  
Regardless of how hard she tried to move her arms, there was nothing she could do. Especially as the stone crept up and around her head. The poor girl was forced to quiet down amidst a bunch of cries for help, as her expression froze in terror. An expression that wouldn't be very visible to the world, given the dome that rose from her shoulders and encapsulated her head, stripping her of her identity as anything more than a soldier in the Legionaire's army.  
  
"What a nice Pawn. Shame they're not as quality as yours truly, but we can't all be winners. And I'm going to be a winner for a long time. maybe even forever. All thanks to that strange lady and her bracelet, I'm as strong as strong can be!" The wolf woman grinned as a sword grew from her hand, made out of the exact same material as her body.  
  
Things looked grim. Not only was she outnumbered two to one, and surpassed in every category including height and strength... but, if she didn't do something now, then the same transformation that had turned the other student into what Mumei-chan called a 'Pawn' would be used on Yumeko. She had to do something.  
  
That's why she darted out of her house in such a hurry in the first place, wasn't it? To stop Mumei-chan and actually try to show that there was something both of them still had that they could fall back on, despite their lack of friends...  
  
She had to act. Before even thinking clearly about the consequences, Mikai darted straight in front of Yumeko, putting herself squarely between the larger mockery of a Roman Legatus and the girl who had been in her sights. "Stop, Mumei-chan!" She shouted, full of conviction.  
  
"You're... Mikai..." The long-haired girl muttered in surprise, only to be drowned out by the golden-eyed marble menace.  
  
"I thought I told people not to call me that anymore, and here you are, disrespecting me just like the rest. I thought we were starting to have a thing together after last night!" The formerly unknown girl barred her fangs as she ground the side of her sword up against them, a maniacal look within her eyes as she pointed it straight towards the shorter girl. "You're like me, you really should know better!"  
  
The pale-blonde girl nodded as she took a brave step towards the taller warrior woman, her newfound spark in life clearly on display. "So what? You just said it yourself, you're like me! You should know better, taking away the agency of people to try and make them your friends when they just end up your slaves instead. You're no better than the people that abandoned you!" Her words cut deep, evident by the way the monster shook from head to toe...  
  
Silence brewed through the air for a second... until a flash of white marble headed straight for Mikai's gut. There was no chance to react, the blow would be fatal with that much strength behind it. She could see her life flashing before her eyes in an instant...  
  
\---  
  
Until it all turned black.  
  
Mikai found herself back in the darkness of eternity once more, with not even a single light to accompany her and ask philosophical questions at her. This time... there was nothing.  
  
Was this her fear? Was that what it was all along, a manifestation of the worries that had plagued her heart? Could that be the one thing dragging her down to the depths? No, there had to be something. There must be a reason why she was here, why the light was here, why the entire space existed in the first place.  
  
Then, the voice that had spoken so many times to her before in her dreams, started to whisper into her ear once more. "What is your role?" Finally, the familiar words were uttered. Normally, she didn't have an answer. In any other circumstance, she wouldn't have anything close to resembling an answer. But this time, she did.  
  
"I don't have one. And I don't need one. All I need is the chance to save that girl, whatever it takes!"  
  
Mikai shouted into the void, dispelling the darkness to reveal an equally endless white plain of light, all brimming from a single solitary source. That warm, endlessly cryptic light that had plagued her for so long, now shone down on her with the warmth of ages past.  
  
She could feel the presence of somebody within the light, no doubt the person who had actually talked to her. "Who are you anyway, and why did you keep telling me all of this..?" The young girl asked, only to receive a chuckle in response.  
  
A silhouette slowly formed within the light, depicting that of a woman wearing a lion's pelt... or at least, that's what she could make out. "Call me Chimera, Mikai. Now, go. Use the power you've been granted for good. Show the world the true strength of your will. I'll lend you a little of my power, just so you can make this all happen."  
  
"That didn't answer anythi-" Before the youth had time to finish her complaint, her vision suddenly flooded with images, causing her to buckle over as the overload of information was too much for her She couldn't make heads or tails of anything... much less as the light started to fade, making her consciousness return to reality.  
  
\---  
  
A reality where she had somehow managed to stop the sword with her two bare hands, inches before it made contact with her torso. A feat that was... frankly insane. Yumeko was stunned, stumbling backward and falling onto her bottom as she was the lone spectator to what was about to unfold.  
  
Mumei-chan, or rather Legatus Lupus, could barely contain her rage. As much as she wanted to rip the sword from the young girl's hands, however, she was deprived of the chance as a bright light started to grow from the girl's waist, one that would temporarily blind her and force her to back away.  
  
The air grew still. Mikai felt her mind focusing on the single, solitary image of a lion. Like the one the figure of Chimera wore in the strange near-death experience. A lion would help her with her wolf problem, as she took a deep breath.   
  
As the light faded, a belt had materialized around the lucky girl's waist. Same golden colors as the 'Jõtai' bracelet that she had been given earlier, but much more... fragile looking. Cracks all abound, with energies spilling out as what felt like an eternity slowly ticked by.  
  
She could feel her body moving on its own as she held her hand forward. She knew not to fear what was about to happen, as she closed her eyes, thinking not only of the girl that she was about to protect... but of the girl that had thrown away her humanity, the girl she could've saved if she hadn't been lost in her own spiral. As she drew her hand forward, a few words left her lips, driven by the emotions that spiked through her. "Both of you. Please. Watch my..."  
  
"HENSHIN!"  
  
In a flash, everything disappeared from the young girl's body. Gone was the sleeveless shirt. Gone was the modest skirt and pantyhose. Only the belt was left behind. Instead, now the boldest of clothing appeared on her body. First and foremost was the bodysuit that covered everything but her head. A simple black piece of stretchable fabric that ensured that she'd have at least one layer of protection. After that, came the equipment itself. On her hands and feet came gloves and boots that were each adorned with claws near the tips to allow for one form of offense, but an extra set of claws around her wrists definitely assured that she would be good on that front.  
  
Moving closer to her midsection, her torso started to vibrate before it looked as if a slim yet durable piece of armor coated her from neck to hip. All of it was one single crimson-colored piece, adding protection to her form as she transformed. As the energies sparked through her suited body, her muscles visibly grew tense as they bulked out just a tiny bit, emphasizing her newfound strength. Said energies then coalesced around her head before they solidified into the form of a lion-shaped helmet, complete with flared tips of red-shaded metal circling her face in the shape of a mane.  
  
To cap it all off, a single long and red scarf appeared around her neck, putting the proverbial bow on top of everything as Mikai felt the power of her own will rushing through her body...  
  
It didn't take long for the Legatus to regain her vision and immediately scoffed at what she was forced to witness. "So, this is what that bracelet did to you. Same hopeless, without any of the charm! We really are alike, and it PISSES ME OFF!" As her voice peaked in volume from the sudden shout, she once again brought her blade directly down towards the heroine clad in red...  
  
Only for her to effortlessly grasp the edge of the blade with the palm of her hand, energies crackling from her belt as she stared straight into her transformed 'friend's crimson eyes, the ones that were reflected on her helmet's visor. "Open your eyes, Mumei-chan. Be the best you know you can be!" The power in her belt shot down her leg, collecting in her foot as the single focus area...  
  
"KING'S FLAME!" The emotion dripped from the attack that Mikai called out, only for her to kick her empowered foot straight into the lupine monster's gut, leaving an enormous searing mark where she had struck her...  
  
A mark that gradually burnt away the stone that constructed Mumei-chan's monstrous form, leaving the poor girl to collapse onto her front, thoroughly knocked out. However, she was stuck with a few changes that were going to be impossible to get rid of, as she'd soon find out. Her marble skin, her tail and her ears. All a permanent stain upon her body, a price to pay for power.  
  
Meanwhile... there were now only two as Mikai lowered her foot, flames still smoldering off the bottom of her boot as she turned towards Yumeko...  
  
And gave her a thumbs up.  
  
A gesture that was more than enough to lighten the tension as Yumeko stood up, dusting herself off with a smile. "Thank you, Mikai. Or... should I call you something else, when you're armored like this? Mumei-chan changed her name after she changed into a monster, so perhaps you'd like the same?"  
  
The young girl thought for a moment as she let one hand rest upon the golden belt, which was dormant as it radiated with energy still... only to then reply firmly, satisfied with her own answer.  
  
"Call me Mimoto, like the city. I'll protect it, and show that who we are as people matters most.."  
  
With the Legionaire defeated, the pawns gradually had their identities returned to them. Only to then realize that they were forced to accept their permanent marble-colored skin. At the same time, a certain black-haired temptress kept watch over the situation from afar, frowning to herself as she departed from her hiding spot while muttering to herself.  
  
"She is not going to like this. Not one bit."  
  
\---  
  
As night fell, a flicker of gold lit up an unassuming room. A room decorated entirely in the shining substance, which meant that it looked rather garish to most onlookers. Especially to two of the people that were currently occupying the room, both of them seem rather... displeased in each their own way.  
  
"Seriously." A masculine, albeit effeminate voice, echoed within the dimly lit golden room. "How many timesssss has ol' Spidey actually been able to do something right? Last time we sent her out to make a Jõtaijin, the albino chump got on our assessssss. I have half a mind to teach her the meaning of subtility, lest she forgetssssssss it and actively startssssss turning people in the middle of the day."  
  
The air within the room grew stale before the owner of the voice smashed his delicate hand into a nearby table. "Batty, you can't seriously stay quiet when I'm trying to rant! What's the bossssss-lady going to think!?" The serpentine-sounding lad grew rather perturbed, only for his companion to place a finger against his lips to quiet him down.  
  
"Patience, Cobra. D'or makes the orders, you know this. I suggest keeping on the down-low when she's not around, otherwise she might decide to make an example of you." The woman clad in black known as 'Batty' seemed far too composed, prompting the serpentine-sounding lad to brush his shoulders in annoyance.  
  
Both of them immediately turned towards the door to the room as the lights lit up, their eyes meeting the military-capped woman with several eyes as she entered. "Yo." General Spider chimed as her hidden eyes reflected the golden light as she started to grin.  
  
"You're late, Spidey!" The serpentine sounding voice nearly shouted as he took some incredibly emphasized steps towards the taller black-clad woman, his own stature much smaller by comparison. He didn't even reach past her stomach with how short he was... and yet the fangs that peeked out from the bottom of his lip made it clear that he was much more dangerous than his tiny fuse would indicate.  
  
The military woman shone a smile as she wrapped her arms around the lad's waist, hoisting him up as she tightened that grip. "And who're you to judge me for being late, King Cobra? You're the guy that never does Mistress D'or's work on time, lest I remind you who she's been praising lately!"  
  
The lightning that shot between their eyes was comically intense, prompting 'Batty' to clear her throat to pull the two apart on some level. "We're not gathered here to fight amongst ourselves. We're gathered here for D'or's." The caped villainess, Baroness Bat, always focused on the task at hand, to her fellow generals' detriment.  
  
Both of the more playful villains muttered several distasteful remarks under their breath as the sound of a coin dropping echoed throughout the room, only for the door to open up once more.  
  
Seconds later, the three generals got down on their knees, kneeling before the woman that they all answered to. "Welcome, Mistress D'or." They said aloud in unison, prompting a soft laugh from their sunglasses-wearing commander.  
  
The brunette seemed almost out of place with her fashionista-like clothes, especially as she took a seat upon the gold-covered throne in the back of the room, chuckling just a tiny bit to herself. "My my. We've got a little issue on our hands, don't we? All thanks to dearest Spider."  
  
Both Cobra, as well as Bat, shot a glare at their military-dressed companion, who could only look down as she bowed her head to earn only the smallest amount of sympathy from her mistress. "My apologies, Mistress D'or. I did not expect somebody to actually turn the Jõtai power into a proper source of power, uncorroded by their vices and wants. We will deal with her swiftly, no matter the cost. All for your sake, of course."  
  
"For your sake." Cobra and Bat replied in turn as they lowered their heads, taking partial responsibility for the deed of dealing with the strange youth.  
  
"You three really are commendable, you know. Very well. I trust you'll be able to deal with her. This... awful little lady." D'or chuckled, only to continue. "Nay. She's no little lady. She's our enemy."  
  
"A Jõtaider."  
  
\---  
  
The quiet hum of movement filled the elevator as a suited woman waited patiently. Her destination was on the top floor. The very penthouse of the entire establishment. The floors ticked on by. 50. 55. 60. Little by little, it slid further on up, until...  
  
The doors finally opened up to reveal a bright light, as well as a perfectly clean and white room that encompassed the entirety of the topmost floor of the skyscraping building. The globe palmed by a pair of hands that decorated several pieces of decor in the room said everything about the owner, who sat at the back of the room tapping away on his desk.  
  
A youthful-looking white-haired man with a bored look on his crimson-eyed face. "...Ah. You're here. Took you long enough." The boy said as he leaned back in his chair, adjusting his tie in the process. "Tell me the news, I've already heard bits and pieces from Byakko, but I want to hear it directly."  
  
The suited woman, dressed in all white which matched her white hair with black highlights, cleared her throat. "We've detected the appearance of another Jõtaijin. But not long after it went into active service, it was terminated by a similar signature. Judging by the... choice words from Byakko-sama..." The calm-toned woman explained carefully, only to briefly stop as the words briefly dangled from the tip of her tongue.  
  
"...We're dealing with a proper Jõtaider."  
  
The bored-looking young man ran a hand through his slickened hair as he sighed. "Great, just great. First I get competition from supernatural Frenchies, and now there's more havoc on the streets. I'm trying to take control of the world for heaven's sake, I don't need this on my plate right now..." The egotistical sounding youth remarked as he shot a glance towards the firm woman.  
  
"Surely that's not the only thing you've come to tell me though. Byakko's one thing, but I heard about developments from Seiryu's front."   
  
As he spoke those foreboding words, a smile crept onto the face of the megalomaniacal boy. Otherwise known as Atlas Grimwald, head of Atlas Corp.  
  
The black-and-white-haired woman paused briefly before she reached into her suit's pocket to reveal an arm brace with an elaborate looking design. Several slots, and buttons to match. "Seiryu-sama... has finally finished the PAWN System. It's ready for testing so that we can enact our own Jõtaijin suppressing efforts."  
  
The laugh that echoed forth from Atlas' lips reached all around his office as he rubbed the palms of his hands together. "Splendid! All too splendid. Maybe now we can actually get things back on proper course!" He sounded a little too ecstatic before he finally cleared his throat once more...  
  
"I trust you're ready for your first outing then, Miss Hiro? Or... should I say, my very own Jõtaider, PAWN?"  
  
The way the black-haired woman's silver-eyed gaze shimmered as she was addressed... It was haunting... and ultimately, exhausted...  
  
\---  
  
In the middle of what seemed to be nowhere, in the absolute outskirts of what seemed to be civilization, a large woman was staring down a platoon of soldiers all adorned with an emblem showing their employment at Atlas' hands. Each of them was frankly terrified as she slowly stepped towards them, her suited body erotic enough to throw them off and yet at the same time her sheer size instilled a sense of fear into them.  
  
"N-Not a step further! We'll shoot! This is your last warning, stay back!" The soldiers yelled in unison, only for a shadow to be cast upon the larger woman's eyes. A brief and deadly golden glow emerged from that facial shadow...  
  
Right before most of the squad was eliminated in one fell swoop. One moment, the large woman was there, the next, she was cradling the last living member of the soldiers she had been staring down.  
  
"L-Let me go..! You... You monster!" The mercenary cried out, only for the soft sound of a zipper being undone to echo throughout his ears. He couldn't bear to look up at the beastly woman's face while she cradled him, which made it that much easier to just... slide him right into the open hole in her cleavage once the zipper had been undone enough.  
  
"Sssssh."  
  
The sound of a woman shushing his thoughts suddenly filled his mind. A mature woman, not unlike the murderous beast he had just been held by. It had to be her voice. He couldn't hear it before, as she didn't seem to speak his language... but he definitely understood her now. And unfortunately, his mind decided to agree with her.  
  
His breathing sped up as the sensation of warmth from the monster's body slowly ran through his own, slowly cooking him inside of the latex suit as the zipper was slowly pulled back up. He could only barely mutter out a weak 'No...' before the light from above vanished, and he sunk further into the abyss of mature meat below. He wanted to escape, he wanted to tell his boss about the strange woman that had thoroughly annihilated his squad...  
  
But he wasn't a he anymore. Not for much longer, anyway. The monster's ability and body would make sure of that as his breaths grew distinctly more feminine and rough at the same time, his humanity being baked away by the warmth...  
  
As the monster's prey slowly cooked away within her suit, the larger woman looked out towards the horizon, licking her lips a little as she stretched her neck... The evening sun brushed against her tanned skin, and she could only smile just a tiny bit.  
  
She could feel a certain presence calling to her. A presence she hadn't felt in oh-so-long. The presence of a proper monster, just like herself. Not just any monster either... A true Apex Predator...  
  
"Chimaera... You've returned, haven't you? After all these years..." The mini-giantess paused as she grit her teeth and cracked her knuckles, slowly trekking forwards as she had a new goal in mind.  
  
She simply couldn't wait to see her old arch-enemy's face when she finally returned.


End file.
